This week’s Republican victories in the Wisconsin recall election are being taken by some in the political arena as a good omen for the party regarding the fall’s presidential election.

Of course, many factors may have contributed to the way people in Wisconsin voted Tuesday. Besides party affiliation, voters hopefully took into account the candidates’ records and stances. Unions are comprised of both Republicans and Democrats just as those who oppose collective bargaining can fall on either side of the political divide.

Another reason Republicans should not read too much into the results of the election is an exit poll conducted by Edison Research showed President Barack Obama having a seven-point lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Eighteen percent of those who cast votes for Republican Gov. Scott Walker said they plan to vote for Obama in November. So perhaps American voters are learning to vote with their heads rather than strictly along party lines.

When George W. Bush narrowly defeated John Kerry in the presidential election of 2004, he trumpeted a renewed validation for his presidency, crediting a “mandate” of the people. Then, throughout his second term his approval numbers steadily declined.

What Bush failed to realize — or purposely ignored — is the voters in that election basically chose the person they found least offensive. For many in Louisiana, the choice harkened back to the gubernatorial election that pitted Edwin Edwards against David Duke, when bumper stickers reading “vote for the crook” were common.

This fall’s election will be very similar. Those who do vote for Obama again this time around will for the most part be doing so much less enthusiastically than they did in 2008. Whoever wins would be wise to realize he was chosen as the lesser of two evils and act accordingly.